JP Trees began when Lauren Ockene introduced the idea at the Neighbors for Neighbors February 1, 2006 Community Organizing Meeting. We began as a proactive reaction to the continuous removal of large shade trees around JP due mostly to development. As a grassroots community group, our goal mainly consisted of renewing the urban canopy in Jamaica Plain. Since then JP Trees has been very busy and we have been featured in the news for our efforts, including the Boston Globe, JP Gazette, and JP Bulletin.


The following are some of our activities and accomplishments since JP Trees' inception:

• We created a series of tombstones for felled large shade trees in JP, displayed on the parade route of Wake Up the Earth (WUTE) fest in May 2006. We had a table at the WUTE festival, as well as at the closing of Parkman Drive in August and the JP World's Fair in September. We tabled again at the 2007 WUTE festival.

• We planted seven front yard trees in the Spring of 2006 and another 20 in the Fall (6 at 7-11 and the remainder in front yards). All of our work is volunteer-based, and we received the trees wholesale through Earthworks.

• We formed a partnership with Earthworks, whose arborist (Ben Crouch) performed site assessments for us.

• We inspired Earthworks to apply for a Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) grant, which they were awarded in 2006, and through that they are working with JP Trees to plant about 200-250 front yard trees in JP in 2007!

• We attended several workshops with Earthworks in 2006, planting native trees to restore an urban wild orchard in McLaughlin Park, atop Mission Hill. Each time about eight JP Trees people participated, both serving and learning (how to plant trees).

• We had two street tree "walks" in 2006 to educate ourselves. One was led by Sherri Brokopp at the Urban Ecology Institute (created the Boston-wide street tree inventory) and the other was by Leif Fixen, Boston Parks and Recreation urban forester. On the second one, the Program Director of the Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) attended.

• We have begun to work with the HSTF regarding collaboration with them to take care of the street trees in Hyde/Jackson Square in 2007.

• We initiated a dialogue with the Mayor's office of Energy and the Environment in 2006, regarding the creation of a city-wide policy to protect trees on private land in Boston. About 250 postcards were signed at the 2007 WUTE festival and sent to the Mayor's office in support of tree protection.

• This website was created in 2006 as well, with the help of Joseph Porcelli from Neighbors for Neighbors. I, Melissa Moore, have strived in my spare time to create an informative site to bring the people closer to the trees.


We are continously receiving calls and emails with all sorts of questions and requests about trees in JP! We have some great members and we also need more active volunteers! If you are interested in joining JP Trees, please contact us at jptreesinfo@gmail.com or call Lauren Ockene at 617.983.2242.